Protecting roof

ABSTRACT

In a protection roof, particularly a sun and weather protection roof, it s aimed to ensure that the roof when not in use can be packed together in a compact manner within the outline of the opened roof by effecting a closing movement, whereby the fabric sheet can be folded with parallel folding lines, and to furthermore allow actuating the hinge also when the roof is in a folded state. To this end, it is proposed that the support rod ( 22 ) is disposed rotatably and slidably, but also lockably, within a mount ( 20 ) comprising a hinge on the standing rod ( 4 ). Moreover, the tensioning struts ( 26, 26   a ) are articulately attached pairwise with one end thereof to a slide ( 28 ) and carry the flexible protecting surface ( 32 ) at their outer end. Supporting struts ( 24, 24   a ) are articulately attached to a central portion of the tensioning struts ( 26, 26   a ) and to the ends ( 22   a ) of the support rod.

This application claims priority from German application No. DE 202015001958.7 filed on Mar. 13, 2015, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to a protecting roof, particularly to a protecting roof of a sun and weather protection device with a flexible protecting surface and a support rod and with tensioning and support struts that each can swivel in two directions.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In addition to other parasol constructions, parasols configured as a support rod with cross strut are known, for example from CH 314813 (Albert Glatz), CH 395446 (Karl Strotz) and CH 501798 (Albert Glatz). The advantages of these sail-shaped parasols are, amongst others, their rectangular shape and the adaptability to the position of the sun. Disadvantageous are the complicated mounting of the separate fabric sheets onto the support rod or the overlapping of the folded fabric sheet with the main hinge. It is also disadvantageous that for the adjustment of the roof to follow the variable path of the sun it is necessary to release and fix again a plurality of locking devices. Also disadvantageous is the weakness of the clamping action and the resulting insufficient wind stability. In U.S. Pat. No. 1,865,106 A there is described a two-legged protecting roof for a tractor vehicle having a flexible roof surface, which is framed in longitudinal direction by fixed battens and in transversal direction by steel wire ropes. The support rod at the roof center is bent at the ends of the roof to form fixed support legs. The struts for the opening and closing of the roof are disposed in a staggered height arrangement. The support struts are bent transversely to the opening/closing movement direction, at one side thereof in a sliding manner by means of tension-spring loaded slides on the support rod, whereas at the other side thereof the support struts are pivotably connected with the vertical lateral support legs with a height distance from the horizontal support rod. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,390,685 A the protecting roof having reinforcement lugs is plugged onto terminal pins of the non-foldable, plug-assembled support frame. The pins and lugs do not have a mutual rotatability function. Due to their oblique orientation, the pins would lose their holding force upon rotation thereof.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, the object of the present invention is to eliminate the above mentioned weak points of the prior art and, accordingly, to provide a solution by means of which the roof when not in use can be packed together in a compact manner within the outline of the opened roof by effecting a closing movement, whereby the fabric sheet can be folded with parallel folding lines, and which further allows actuating the hinge also when the roof is in a folded state. In particular, the protecting roof shall be adaptable by re-positioning in an easy and simple is manner to match changing situations due to the sun's movement and due to particular wind situations, in contrast to U.S. Pat. No. 1,865,106 A.

Advantageously, the protecting surface comprises corners and the corners of the protecting surface are rotatably mounted to the strut ends. Advantageously, the support rod has guiding grooves for securing the slides against rotation. Moreover, it is advantageous if the guiding grooves of the support rod include stopper pawls defining the end positions of the slides. It is also advantageous to have the slides include a tilting lever provided with a pawl and a spring, which lever cooperates with a counter catch at the support rod to hold the extended tensioning struts in their position. The long tensioning struts are advantageously provided with spring loaded extensions having the purpose of compensating tension. In order to prevent an excessive stretching of parts of the protecting surface, the outer ends of the long tensioning struts in their folded state can be arranged in a recessed position relative to the ends of the support rod. For an improved reliability handling the struts can be provided with expander springs or spacers. In order to prevent the protecting surface from bending, e.g. due to wind, it can be provided at one or both sides thereof from the adjustment hinge with additional attachments to the support rod. To avoid any impairment upon movement of the support rod, the additional attachments can be provided with a protection ring. The aforementioned elements as well as those claimed and described in the following exemplary embodiments, to be used according to the invention, are not subject to any particular conditions by way of exclusion in terms of their size, shape, use of material and technical design, with the result that the selection criteria known in the respective field of application can be used without restrictions.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further details, advantages and features of the object of the present invention will become apparent from the following description and the corresponding drawings, in which a protecting roof according to the present invention are illustrated by way of example. In the drawings there are shown in:

FIG. 1 a schematic view of a parasol with a protecting roof according to a first embodiment of the present invention with the universal hinge, in the folded state, without rendering of the protecting roof;

FIG. 2 a view of the parasol according to FIG. 1, in the opened state with rendering of the protecting roof;

FIG. 3 a view of the parasol according to FIG. 1, in the folded state, with rendering of the protecting roof;

FIG. 4 a perspective view of the operating elements of the parasol according to FIGS. 1 to 3; with a universal hinge according to a preferred exemplary embodiment of the present invention as central element, wherein the support rod as well as the standing rod are oriented in a vertical direction;

FIG. 5 view, wherein the support rod as well as the standing rod are oriented in a vertical direction;

FIG. 6 a perspective view of the universal hinge according to FIG. 4, wherein the support rod is oriented in a direction rotated by 90° from the standing rod; and

FIG. 7 a view of the universal hinge according to FIG. 4 as an exploded view, wherein the support rod as well as the standing rod again are oriented in a vertical direction.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The parasol shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 and denoted as a whole as 2 comprises a standing rod 4 which in the present exemplary embodiment comprises two pipe parts 6 and 8 that are telescopically sliding into each other and which can be locked and released with a first attachment device 9 provided with a first clamping handle 10.

At the upper end of the upper pipe part 8 there is arranged a mount 20 comprising a hinge, which in the example shown is a universal hinge, according to a preferred exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Moreover, the parasol of FIG. 1 comprises a support rod 22 which is depicted for the case of a horizontal orientation and which is also disposed at the universal hinge.

In FIG. 4 there is shown the universal hinge which receives, on the one side, the standing rod 4, namely the upper pipe part 8 of the standing rod, and, on the other side, the support rod 22, both of which are rotatable and the support rod 22 is slidable when the clamping handle 40 is released, and both of which are locked when the clamping handle 40 of the universal hinge is locked. Basically the universal hinge of this exemplary embodiment comprises four functions which are all enabled when the clamping handle 40 is released and which all are prevented when the clamping handle 40 is locked, namely, the rotatability of the standing rod 4 about the universal hinge, the slidability of the support rod 22 in the universal hinge, the rotatability of the support rod 22 about its own axis in the universal hinge and also the rotatability of the support rod 22 about the standing rod 4. In the exemplary embodiment this is realized by means of form-fitting indentations in two rotating disks 42 and 44 in the locked state. In an alternative exemplary embodiment—which is not shown separately—the locking of the rotatability of the support rod 22 against the standing rod 4 is provided in a force-fitting manner preferably by having the rotating disks 42 and 44 for adjusting the angle between the standing rod 4 and the support rod 22 to be conically shaped. In a further alternative exemplary embodiment—which is not shown separately—the locking of the rotatability of the support rod 22 against the standing rod 4 is provided as a mixed form- and force-fitting type by having the rotating disks 42 is and 44 configured with a roughened surface.

Due to the fact that in the proposed embodiment the hinge is configured with two hinge halves with closed gripper clamps and with two toothed rotating disks 42, 44 or—in the above mentioned alternative embodiment, with conical or roughened-surface rotating disks, respectively—and further with clamping bolts 46 and a clamping handle 40, all of the directions of movement can be fixed and released again with a single clamping handle 40. The clamping action is stronger and the mounting task and the number of components are reduced. In the present exemplary embodiment, the universal hinge thus comprises substantially two hinge halves in the form of rotating disks with integrated gripper clamps 43, 45 and a clamping bolt 46. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the support rod 22 as well as the standing rod 4 have a circular outer cross section. In alternative exemplary embodiments, the support rod 22 and/or the standing rod 4 have an outer cross section deviating therefrom. To nonetheless provide for rotatability of the support rod 22 or the standing rod 4, the respective hinge part comprises, in its gripper clamp part, adaptor elements to said outer cross section. For this purpose, one can use an outer cross section that is at least sectionwise oval or a polygonal outer cross section with or without rounded corners, or a support rod and/or standing rod can be inserted which comprises at least sectionwise a longitudinal groove. In the exemplary embodiment as shown in FIG. 5, mutually overlapping centering sleeves 48 are arranged around the center of the rotating disks 42 and 44.

At both ends of the support rod 22, there are short support struts 24, 24 a articulately attached opposite to each other with one end thereof, and with the other end thereof connected to hinges in the central part of long tensioning struts 26, 26 a. The long tensioning struts 26, 26 a are articulately connected at one end thereof with slides 28 running on the support rod 22, whereas at the outer ends of the tensioning struts 26, 26 a there are attached the corners 30, 30 a of the flexible protecting surface 32. The two slides 28 are slidable in opposite directions and are equipped with a spring-loaded tilting lever 29 having claws that engage into a catch when the roof is open. Upon actuating the tilting lever 29, the sliders 28 are again released and can be slidingly pushed back. This arrangement of the struts 24, 24 a, 26, 26 a has the effect that the ends of the tensioning struts 26. 26 a, which are connected with the corners 30, 30 a of the protecting surface 32, move almost perpendicularly and linearly with respect to the support rod 22 and that the protecting surface 32 is brought to a parallel folding 33, thus allowing for unimpeded operation of the universal hinge also when the roof is closed. Advantageously, the long tensioning struts 26, 26 a are arranged in such manner that in their folded position the outer ends thereof are arranged in a recessed position relative to the ends of the support rod 22, so as to avoid excessive stretching of the protecting surface 32 upon opening or closing operation.

In the exemplary embodiment shown, the protecting surface 32 comprises corners 30, 30 a, the corners 30, 30 a of the protecting surface 32 being rotatably mounted at the ends of the struts. For opening and closing, a tilting lever 29 with claw 29 a provided with a spring is arranged in each of the slides 28 which holds the open tensioning struts 26, 26 a in position by engaging with a counter catch at the support rod 22. The long tensioning struts 26, 26 a are provided with spring-loaded extensions for compensating tension. The outer ends of the long tensioning struts 26, 26 a in their closed position are arranged in a recessed position relative to the ends 22 a of the support rod so as to avoid an excessive stretching of parts of the protecting surface 32. In the present exemplary embodiment, the struts are provided with spreading springs (alternatively: with spacers). Moreover, the protecting surface 32 comprises additional attachments 25 to the support rod 22 at one or both sides of the adjusting hinge, the support rod being provided in each case with a protection ring 25 a.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

-   2 standing parasol -   4 standing rod -   6 lower pipe part -   8 upper pipe part -   9 first attachment device -   10 first clamping handle -   20 mount comprising a hinge -   22 support rod -   22 a support rod end -   24 support strut -   24 a support strut -   25 additional attachments -   25 a protection ring -   26 tensioning strut -   26 a tensioning strut -   28 slide -   29 tilting lever -   30 corner -   30 a corner -   32 protecting surface -   33 folding -   40 clamping handle of the universal hinge -   42 rotating disk -   43 integrated gripper clamp -   44 rotating disk -   45 integrated gripper clamp -   46 clamping bolt -   48 centering sleeve -   49 centering sleeve 

1. A protecting roof, particularly a sun and weather protecting roof, with a standing rod, a flexible protecting surface and a support rod and with tensioning struts and support struts which each can swivel in two directions and which are operatable by slides disposed on the support rod in a counteracting manner, wherein the flexible protecting surface, which is attached to the ends of the support rod, is configured to be opened and folded by means of the slides, characterized in that the support rod is disposed rotatably and slidably, but also lockably, within a mount comprising a hinge on the standing rod, the tensioning struts are articulately attached pairwise with one end thereof to a slide and carry the flexible protecting surface at their outer end, and supporting struts are articulately attached to a central portion of the tensioning struts and to the ends of the support rod.
 2. The protecting roof according to claim 1, characterized in that the protecting surface comprises corners, the corners of the protecting surface being rotatably mounted at the ends of the tensioning struts, whereby a rotational motion between the corners of the protecting surface and the tensioning struts is made possible so as to allow folding and unfolding of the protecting roof together with the tensioning struts.
 3. The protecting roof according to claim 1, characterized in that the support rod has guiding grooves for securing the slide against rotation.
 4. The protecting roof according to claim 3, characterized in that the guiding grooves of the support rod are provided with stopper pawls defining end positions of the slides.
 5. The protecting roof according to one of claims 1, characterized in that the slides comprise a tilting lever provided with a spring and a claw which co-operates with a counter catch of the support rod, thereby keeping the extended tensioning struts in their position.
 6. The protecting roof according to one of claims 1, characterized in that the long tensioning struts are provided with spring-loaded extensions for compensating tension.
 7. The protecting roof according to one of claims 1, characterized in that the outer ends of the long tensioning struts in the folded position thereof are arranged in a recessed position relative to the end of the support rod so as to avoid excessive stretching of any parts of the protecting surface.
 8. The protecting roof according to one of claims 1, characterized in that the struts are provided with spreading springs or spacers.
 9. The protecting roof according to one of claims 1, characterized in that the protecting surface comprises additional attachments to the support rod at one or both sides of the adjusting hinge.
 10. The protecting roof according to claim 8, characterized in that the additional attachments are provided with a protection ring.
 11. The protecting roof according to claim 2, characterized in that the support rod has guiding grooves for securing the slide against rotation.
 12. The protecting roof according to one of claims 2, characterized in that the slides comprise a tilting lever provided with a spring and a claw which cooperates with a counter catch of the support rod, thereby keeping the extended tensioning struts in their position.
 13. The protecting roof according to one of claims 3, characterized in that the slides comprise a tilting lever provided with a spring and a claw which cooperates with a counter catch of the support rod, thereby keeping the extended tensioning struts in their position.
 14. The protecting roof according to one of claims 4, characterized in that the slides comprise a tilting lever provided with a spring and a claw which cooperates with a counter catch of the support rod, thereby keeping the extended tensioning struts in their position.
 15. The protecting roof according to one of claims 2, characterized in that the long tensioning struts are provided with spring-loaded extensions for compensating tension.
 16. The protecting roof according to one of claims 3, characterized in that the long tensioning struts are provided with spring-loaded extensions for compensating tension.
 17. The protecting roof according to one of claims 4, characterized in that the long tensioning struts are provided with spring-loaded extensions for compensating tension.
 18. The protecting roof according to one of claims 5, characterized in that the long tensioning struts are provided with spring-loaded extensions for compensating tension.
 19. The protecting roof according to one of claims 2, characterized in that the outer ends of the long tensioning struts in the folded position thereof are arranged in a recessed position relative to the end of the support rod so as to avoid excessive stretching of any parts of the protecting surface.
 20. The protecting roof according to one of claims 3, characterized in that the outer ends of the long tensioning struts in the folded position thereof are arranged in a recessed position relative to the end of the support rod so as to avoid excessive stretching of any parts of the protecting surface. 